WCC NEWS: Interreligious encounter focus of farewell conference for Prof. Dr Wolfram Reis

The Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Vienna, in cooperation with the Research Centre Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, held a farewell conference for Prof Dr. Wolfram Reiss from 26-27 September. Photo: Foltinowsky/ETF 7 October 2024 The focus was on the question of to what extent it is possible to incorporate personal experiences into scientific and professional work without considering these experiences as normative. In preparation for the event, a collective volume was developed together with the conference participants, aiming to reflect in a multifaceted way on the fundamental religious studies premise of epoché. The volume explores the discrepancy between the significance of personal experiences and the demand for neutrality and objectivity in religious studies research. The goal of the conference was to examine the impact of personal and professional experiences, encounters, and stays abroad on the personal development and expertise of individuals in various professional fields that engage with other religions and cultures. It aimed to explore how personal impressions and experiences could be integrated into research without conveying a distorted representation of religions from a specific ideological perspective. Prof. Dr Angeliki Ziaka, WCC programme executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation said: “The promotion of youth engagement by active scholars from diverse local contexts into the international academic community is particularly important.” When educators share their international experiences with their students, they become even more valuable, Ziaka noted. “This approach aims to create networks that link emerging scholars and active citizens,” she said. “The value of these initiatives lies in rigorous academic methodologies that examine diverse expressions and perspectives, encompassing both insider and outsider viewpoints.” The conference in honour of Prof. Wolfram Reiss served as a platform to showcase the ongoing work of mainly German-speaking academics, clergy, and activist scholars.  “These individuals not only bring their research and activities to the field, but also return with fresh, more nuanced insights that are reshaping both established and emerging assumptions about religions and cultures,” said Ziaka.    Learn more about the WCC interreligious work Current Dialogue - World Council of Churches’ journal on interreligious dialogue   See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland